During my time at the University of Virginia, I became very well acquainted with Pavilion II there. The Jeffersonian structure had been emptied while the Rotunda was being restored next door, allowing it to be thoroughly investigated from top to bottom.
As part of learning field methods, I and a team of classmates studied Pavilion II and produced measured drawings of its own renovations and restorations since the 1820s. These helped us to not only understand its use across time but to also interpret how the pavilion might have been experienced by enslaved people working there before Emancipation. To do so, we explored spaces from the attic down to its basement searching for artifacts and clues that might have been overlooked for years.
Research there went even further for me with my Cultural Heritage Informatics internship, though. Working with Will Rourk, 3D data and content specialist, I fully scanned Pavilion II inside and out which not only created measurable plans but also accurately recorded site conditions and details like color. A favorite moment was documenting original bucrania surviving in the upstairs parlor which was an absolutely unique opportunity for me to be so up close with history.
If you like this blog post, you might enjoy this previous update.
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